To Bring Him Peace
by JasmineRey
Summary: Jasmine had witnessed first-hand how severely the crystal affected Lief. The sinister whispers tormented him into a state of despair and fear. And yet, he expected her to be okay with leaving him.


**To Bring Him Peace**

"This is ridiculous. I am not going," Jasmine told them plainly. She leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and waited for Lief's response.

"Jasmine, please, just listen," Lief begged, reaching his hand out to her from across the dining room table.

When Lief had requested Jasmine meet with him, Doom, and Sharn to discuss an important matter, Jasmine had not considered that the meeting may be about her. Lief had said nothing to her in their private conversations of his idea for her to accompany Doom and Sharn to Tora.

"I have listened," Jasmine snapped harshly, anger bubbling inside of her. "Now _you_ listen to _me._ I am not going to Tora and that is final."

"It is not safe for you here, Jasmine," Lief stressed, his eyes filled with a desperate panic that made Jasmine's heart ache.

She sighed. "If it is not safe for me, than it is not safe for you either," she reasoned, softening her tone. "Why must you stay here while I go?"

"Because I am the king," Lief explained. "I cannot abandon the people. I cannot leave them unprotected from that — that thing upstairs." He buried his head in his hands for a moment, as if the very thought of it sent him spiralling into despair. When he lifted his head, he looked at Jasmine again. Though he remained silent, his eyes pleaded with her, screamed at her to listen, to understand, to go to Tora where she would be safe.

Jasmine found it difficult to look at him, not because of her frustration, but because it broke her heart to see him this way. Dark, swollen patches hung heavy under his bloodshot eyes. He looked ill, pale and trembling, his eyes glazed with exhaustion yet wide with fear.

Jasmine had witnessed first-hand how severely the crystal affected Lief. The sinister whispers tormented him into a state of despair and fear. As his thoughts were consumed by the menacing darkness, he would tremble violently and struggle to think and speak clearly. Sometimes, it was as if he had to fight to breathe, and each breath he took was nothing more than a shallow gasp. He cried, and Jasmine cried with him, because she knew that whatever he was hearing, the darkness he was feeling, was much worse than any of the whispers or feelings she experienced herself.

And yet, he expected her to be okay with leaving him.

"And I cannot abandon you!" Jasmine cried. She felt tears well up in her eyes and an uncomfortable lump form in her throat. "Do you not understand? How can I go knowing I am leaving you to suffer alone?"

"It is my burden to bear, Jasmine, not yours," Lief argued desperately. "You have already suffered enough because of it, because of me."

Jasmine sighed in exasperation. The tears in her eyes began to overflow and trickle slowly down her cheeks. "When will you learn that you do not have to handle everything alone?" She looked at Lief softly, lovingly, as she awaited his response, but he said nothing. He stared at her silently with his pleading gaze, tears running down his cheeks.

Jasmine turned to face Doom, who so far had said nothing. He sat with his arms folded, a stern expression set on his face. "I suppose you agree with this plan," she said bitingly.

Doom let out a sigh. "You will be safe in Tora," he remarked in a serious tone. "I strongly suggest you to consider the plan, and consider it seriously. This is not a time for foolishness."

Anger rose in Jasmine again, but she forced it down. Seeing the anguish on Lief's face, and Sharn quietly wiping tears from her eyes, she realised she did not wish to cause them more heartache, but she also did not wish to hear anymore about the ridiculous plan. She stood up abruptly from the table and stormed out of the room. As she marched furiously through the palace, the chorus of voices calling after her quickly dulled until she could no longer hear them.

She found a quiet place outside in the palace garden, underneath a large tree with branches stretched out wide. She sat on the ground and rested her back against its thick, sturdy trunk. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, imagining a world where her and Lief could live peacefully and happily, a world she was not sure would ever exist.

Jasmine remained lost in the wishes of her heart until she suddenly heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She opened her eyes to see Sharn walking towards her. Jasmine started to pull herself to her feet, but Sharn shook her head and elegantly lowered herself to the ground to sit beside Jasmine. Jasmine noticed Sharn's damp cheeks and sorrowful eyes, and she realised that perhaps Sharn felt a similar pain to her own over the thought of leaving Lief, though she seemed to possess the strength to continue with her responsibilities regardless of her worry and heartache.

Jasmine's position on the matter, however, remained unchanged. So she reiterated her thoughts on the matter once again.

"I am sorry, Sharn, but if you are trying to persuade me to go, you are wasting your time. I will not leave him."

Sharn rested her hand gently on Jasmine's shoulder. "I know you want to be here for him, Jasmine," she said calmly. "I know you want to help him and comfort him, but his constant fear for your safety only causes him to suffer more."

Jasmine felt a pang of guilt in her stomach. She hated the thought of contributing to Lief's suffering.

"I do not know exactly what he hears," Sharn continued, "but it scares him, Jasmine. He knows it speaks to you too. He is terrified of losing you. As for your father, he may not express his feelings so clearly, but he worries about you too. It troubles him that you still hear whispers from the crystal. He does not want —"

"He does not want me to run off again," Jasmine muttered. "He does not want me being lured into another trap, but I am not foolish. I will never fall for a trick like that again."

"He knows that," Sharn assured her. "As does Lief, but that does not stop them from worrying about you. That is what people do when they care about you, Jasmine. That is what people do when they love you." Sharn rose to her feet and brushed off her dress with her hands to remove any grass or dirt. "I cannot force you to come to Tora with us," she told Jasmine, "but I hope you will consider it. There will be plenty for you to do, and it will give you and Doom the chance to spend some time together." With that, she turned and made her way back to the palace.

Jasmine sat for a moment contemplating Sharn's words. Love was strange, she had decided. It did not always make sense. Sometimes love meant doing anything to keep the person you love safe, even if that meant being without them. And sometimes love meant accepting love and care from others, and giving up on stubbornness.

It meant realising that, until the crystal was destroyed, no amount of comfort she offered Lief could truly eliminate his suffering anyway, that there was a better way she could bring him a small yet significant amount of peace.

With her decision made, Jasmine returned to the meeting room. Lief, Doom, and Sharn all stared at her, evidently quite surprised by her return.

Jasmine took a deep breath. "I will do it," she told them, and she felt her heart swell as she saw the immense relief wash over Lief's face. "I will go to Tora."


End file.
